iPod Faces Patent Probe 203
twofish writes "The long running patent spat between Apple and the struggling Creative Technology took another turn today. Creative is claiming that the US International Trade Commission (ITC) has now launched a probe into the possibility that the iPod infringes on Creative's patents. Creative has asked the ITC to issue an order stopping Apple from marketing, selling or importing iPods into the US."
Patently Nonsense (Score:2, Interesting)
I guess it is completely non-obvious and innovative that a portable music player would need a menu to navigate through its songs.
I must be brilliant because that requirement seemed pretty obvious to me.
Like comparing Oranges and... (Score:1, Interesting)
Facts...facts...who's got the facts? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Patently Nonsense (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Facts...facts...who's got the facts? (Score:5, Interesting)
This isn't a patent on MP3 players or buttons or anything or FUD-related nonsense, it's a patent on a specific organizational structure in the software.
No, this is a patent on organizing music in a hierarchy, but on a portable, much like patents on a dutch auction, but on the internet, or patents on blue lights, but in a car. This patent was applied for 5 days before Apple released to the public iTunes and long after other music jukebox software did this same thing. Apple, and many other companies, sold laptops with speakers. In particular, look at a Linux laptop, with a speaker, running MPlayer. Creative's case hinges on proving that their patent issued years after people were doing just that, should prevent the selling of iPods (which run Linux and use it to organize and play music in the same way). It isn't even a matter of it being obvious, it is a matter of them filing for the patent years after people were already doing this by arguing that the iPod somehow differs fundamentally from other portable computing devices.
Re:Patently Nonsense (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:I suspect an overturn of creatives patents soon (Score:2, Interesting)
both the computer and the portable player have stored files to browse by category from a filesystem.
the patent attourney you asked might know his patent law, but he doesnt know squat about how a computer works, ill bet he thinks it's full of hampsters doing math on miniature abici
Re:I suspect an overturn of creatives patents soon (Score:4, Interesting)
I don't care what you're patent attourney said; these kinds of patents are utter bullshit anyway!
Non-obvious is non-obvious is non-obvious, and that doesn't change just because it's a slightly different kind of device! And the only assholes who think otherwise are -- guess what -- the attourneys, because they're the ones who profit from the whole thing!